The Point of It All
by The Writer's Life
Summary: While he was waiting outside of the Pandorica, Rory made a friend. His name was Merlin.


**A/N: Hello everyone! I feel like I haven't written a fic in forever, but life gets in the way, and these past few weeks have taken all my energy. Anyways, this little crossover has been bouncing around in my head for awhile, so please enjoy! And as always, reviews/favorites make my day sunny. This takes place between seasons 5 and 6 of Doctor Who, and for this story, please just ignore the section of Merlin where the truck drives by. I sort of go AU on that :)**

**The Point of It All**

Rory brought the subject up in the first place. It had been about two months since the Pandorica, since he had become Mr. Pond, as the Doctor liked to call him, two months since he had first moved into the TARDIS, and two months since he had regained memories of living for two thousand year as a plastic Auton. He tried to forget that part, but found that two thousand years of living were hard to suppress. For the most part, he was happy with letting himself be absorbed by the grand places the Doctor or Amy decided to go, but now, something was nagging him, or more accurately, someone. He mulled over bringing it up, and ultimately decided that if he could only ask for one thing, he wanted to ask for this, so one night, when they were all gathered in the TARDIS console room just chatting, Rory decided to speak.

"Doctor?" he asked, watching the time lord play with his bow tie as if he were a hyper child (which wasn't too far from the truth). "There's somewhere I want to go."

The Doctor laughed jubilantly, stood up from his chair, and began doing his usual dance around the TARDIS console. "Say the word, Rory! Where to?"

"Well, the years I was with the Pandorica, I met someone," he began.

"You met someone while you were guarding me?" Amy raised her eyebrows, and Rory couldn't help laughing.

"Not like that. I made a friend. He's immortal, and he lost someone, too. His name was Merlin. We would try to meet up once in awhile and chat. Arthur came back to him in 1945. I've never seen anyone so happy in all my life."

"Merlin? As in King Arthur and Merlin?" Amy questioned incredulously. "They're real?"

"Well, of course they are! Don't be ridiculous, Pond. Merlin, Emrys, whatever you call him, is a good bloke. Helped me out of a scrape with a Gamakoran once. Now, Rory, what year do you want to go to? When did you meet him?"

"I met him in 1311, I think," Rory replied. "We had both been waiting for a long time, by that point. Can we go after he was done waiting, though? I want to see what happened to him and Arthur?"

"Who was he waiting for?" Amy asked.

"King Arthur. He was killed by Mordred in battle, and Merlin felt positively terrible about it. He blamed himself entirely for not saving him. I think talking about him made Merlin feel better." _I talked about you, too, Amy. That made me feel better. _Rory added this in his head, but he wanted to save this for a different time, where it was just him and Amy.

"Well, then 2111 it is!" The Doctor declared. With that, he began manuevering around the TARDIS again, flipping levers and pushing buttons as he went. The TARDIS took off, and Rory smiled. He was going to see his friend again.

XXX

"Well, this doesn't look like 2111," Amy proclaimed as she and Rory stepped out of the TARDIS and closed the door. Their flight had been a bit bumpy and rough, but they had gotten there.

Rory looked around. It seemed as if they were in a stable, and a dirty one at that. There was hay strewn everywhere, and a bucket of feed had been knocked over. In the corner, Rory spotted a serving boy sweeping the floor while grumbling under his breath about stupid prats and sorcerers. He smiled when he saw that the serving boy had a familiar flop of dark hair and a neckerchief. "Merlin!"

The boy turned around upon hearing his name called, but instead of the look of recognition Rory expected, the he gave him a puzzled look. "Yes? Can I help you?"

"Um, it's me? Rory?" Nothing changed on Merlin's face. "The Last Centurion? No? We kind of are friends..."

"Do I know you?" Merlin asked, setting the broom down. He looked at Rory and Amy, leaving his gaze on Amy and her wardrobe choice of a short skirt, tights, and sweater. "You all aren't from Camelot." He peered behind them, and his blue eyes widened until they were the size of saucers. "And what is that blue box?"

"Rory!" As if on cue, the Doctor burst out of the TARDIS, his bow tie slightly askew and hair sticking out in every direction. "I went a little overboard on the ones, because you know, ones are cool, and we aren't in 2111." The Doctor flipped his hands around excitedly. "We're in 1111. So you two," the Doctor continued, motioning to Rory and Merlin, "Haven't met. So, say hello, forget we ever met, Merlin, and come along, Ponds, into the TARDIS, we'll just jump ahead."

"I'm sorry, but what is going on? Jump ahead? Who are you?" Merlin looked from Amy, who was glaring at the Doctor, from the Doctor, who was still bouncing nervously, to Rory, the calmest of the trio. "You. You said that you knew me. Who are you guys?"

"Doctor? Can I tell him?" Rory asked, looking to the Doctor. The time lord rolled his eyes, but nodded his approval, so Rory turned back to Merlin. "I'm from your future. Me, the Doctor, and Amy, we're time travellers, and I wanted to come see you. We meet in 1311, and we become friends because... because something bad has happened to both of us." Rory swallows hard, and Amy squeezes his hand.

Merlin stared at Rory for a moment, tilting his head slightly as if trying to comprehend something complcated. Rory can see the exact moment Merlin understands what happens in the future. He recoiled as if he had been bitten by a snake, and his hands flew to his face. Tears began to form in his eyes. "How? How did I lose Arthur? What did I do wrong?"

Rory open his mouth to answer, but the Doctor interjected. "I can't tell you, Merlin. It would form a million paradoxes if you knew."

Merlin shook his head back and forwarth, as if in denial, and then bowed his head. A tear rolled down his cheek, and his nose twitched. The trio let him recollect his thoughts, and after what seemed like an eternity for Amy and the Doctor, Merlin lifted his gaze to Rory. "Rory, you say that we are friends in the future, but you said that we met in 1311. How is that possible? I should be dead by that year."

"Merlin, I'm sorry," Rory said. He was already thinking about how he was going to kill the Doctor for bringing him to this point in time. He didn't want to be the one to break it to Merlin, but it seemed as if the universe had different plans. "But... but you are immortal."

"Immortal?" Merlin repeated the word in a low, dangerous voice. "You mean to tell me that Arthur dies, and I am immortal? That after he dies, I can't follow, and whatever time you are from, I'm still wandering around without him?"

"Merlin, I -" Rory began, but he was cut off by Merlin, whose attention was now on the Doctor.

"You seem like you're in charge. Go to whatever day he dies, and save him. I don't care how you do it, I don't care what is changed. Go save Arthur."

"Merlin, I can't do that. The death of King Arthur is one of the most important fixed points in time. If I were to save him, all of history will be changed, and not for the better. His death is an important point in the history of the universe." The Doctor looked regretful, but by the tone of his voice, Rory and Amy both knew that nothing could convince him to save Arthur. "I altered a fixed point in history before, and it ended in disaster."

"I don't care about the history of the universe. You talk about Arthur as if he's just a fairytale. He isn't! He's a real person, and he's my best friend. You are most likely the only person who can save him. Do it!" Merlin roared, and the bucket of water next to Amy and Rory exploded because of Merlin's magic. Amy was soaked automatically, and she let out a small shriek of surprise. She wasn't anything but a little wet, but Merlin looked horrified.

"I'm sorry," he gasped. He backed up against the wall. "I'm sorry."

"It's just water," Amy replied gently, but Merlin didn't hear her. His breath was coming in shallow gasps, and he looked as he were going to explode with tears.

"Amy, Doctor, in the TARDIS. I need a moment with Merlin," Rory said. He wasn't one for giving orders, but this was different. He needed to talk to his future friend. Amy and the Doctor slipped inside the TARDIS quietly, leaving Rory alone with Merlin. The serving boy glared at Rory distrustfully as he moved torwards him.

"Merlin, I know the good and the bad times you went through, because you told me. You are going to see Arthur die, you are going to see the eventual demise of Camelot, and yet, you are going to see so many good things," Rory said quietly. "You will see Gwen rise to the throne, you will travel the Earth and see many things, you will bring hope to a lonely Centurion, and one day, you will see Arthur again. It will be the happiest day of your life, when he arises again, and the happiest moment for me to witness."

Merlin studied Rory, and then inhaled deeply. "How much longer do I have with him? I must have told you the date he died. Today is June 17, 1111. What day does he die? Please, just tell me this."

Rory inhaled. It was as if he was setting up a time bomb, but this was Merin's one request. "You have two months. Arthur dies on August 17, 1111."

Merlin nodded, his face going pale. "Thank you, Rory." He held up his hand for Rory to shake, and the two men shook hands. "I look forward to meeting you again, future friend." With that, the warlock turned and walked from the stables, leaving Rory alone. After a moment of hesitation, he stepped inside the TARDIS, where the Doctor was guiltily slinking around the TARDIS console.

"Let's go," Rory said quietly. "We've done enough."

XXX

Later that night, when Amy was resting and the Doctor had disappeared off into some wing of the TARDIS, Rory sat alone in the console room. The events of the day had really affected him. Merlin would spend his last two months with Arthur in dread, desperately trying to save him in any way possible, and that was his fault.

"Rory! Rory the Roman." Rory heard the Doctor's familiar voice ring through the room, and sighed. The last thing he needed was a lecture.

"Doctor," he greeted the man flatly. He figured it was just his imagination, but the Doctor looked somewhat tired.

"Are you okay?" the Doctor asked, placing a hand on Rory's shoulder.

"Why couldn't we have gone and saved Arthur? It would have been easy, compared to what we usually do. No aliens, no anything," Rory blurted out. "Merlin hurt for nearly nine hundred years."

"Like I said, Rory, Arthur's death is a fixed point in time. So many historical events revolve around his death at that exact point in time, and to change it would alter the course of human history. Why, without his death, you and Amy might not even exist!"

"But if we can't save people, then what's the point of it all?" Rory asked. "What is the point of travelling around in this box?"

"Rory, there is one thing that you should learn that will make this easier.


End file.
